1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device and method of clearing sea or land mines. More particularly, the device and method relates to clearing mines using slurry explosives. Most particularly, the slurry explosives are pumped into a flexible hose which has been extended into a minefield for wide-area mine clearance. The device and method may be used in military, humanitarian and/or administrative mine clearance operations.
2. Description of Related Art
The removal of mines is a particularly difficult endeavor. Mines are conventionally used to impede the progress of military forces through an area, either sea or land. Selective placement of the mines within an area is used to deny access into the area.
Mines are used to disrupt and demoralize military forces. Additionally, mines may be used to terrorize civilian populations. Mines vary in construction and armament, complicating any attempt to neutralize their use, commonly known as mine countermeasures. Significant problems occur when mine countermeasures do not reliably render an area safe for passage. The specter of a single active mine in an operational area may cause the cancellation of watercraft and/or troop movement into an area of conflict, or impede commercial and/or civilian traffic.
Within narrow sea lanes or in shallow waters, the threat of mines disrupts normal transit of ships and watercraft. Mines affecting sea-going vessels are particularly hazardous when placed in sea lanes and along coastal areas. Placement of mines within narrow sea lanes interrupts commercial flow of goods, and denies naval military vessels convenient, direct, and short transit routes through normal shipping channels. When placed along the shore or in sea lanes, mines can easily cause high casualty rates of troops engaged in amphibious operations, or warships transiting restricted waterways. On land, mines generally are located along known paths or other areas of convenient transit by vehicles or individuals to cause high casualty rates. Additionally, after a military conflict, residual mines remain hazardous to non-combatants and must be cleared during humanitarian or administrative mine clearing efforts. Accordingly, mine clearance needs to universally render all mines in an area inert to the incoming military forces, civilians or commerce, regardless whether the mines are at sea or on land.
Several approaches to mine clearance are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,258 (Garcia et al.) discloses an air-delivered ordnance explosive. U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,152 (Scarzello et al.) discloses an underwater vehicle that detects possible mine locations and deposits mine-clearing explosives close-by. U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,230 (Harris et al.) discloses a standoff mine neutralization system using an unpowered air vehicle. U.S. Statutory Invention Registration no. H162 (Sullivan, Jr. et al.) discloses a system for wide-area mine clearance using multiple fuel containers.
Additionally, slurry explosive techniques are known. Slurry explosives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,765 (Stromquist et al.). Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,5422,941 (Stromquist) discloses transporting slurry explosives underground using a pipeline.
None of the prior techniques fully provide for the reliable clearance of sea and/or land mines for wide-areas along a given transit path. Several results are desired for mine clearance systems. First, a continuous path cleared of mines is needed for ship transit through sea channels and troop movement over land. Second, a device is needed which facilitates movement and handling of mine clearing equipment. Third, a two component explosive is desired, allowing transport of individual semi-inert components for safe handling, storage and transportation in wide-area mine clearance operations. Fourth, expedient deployment of mine clearing equipment is desired which facilitates large scale mine clearance. Fifth, a device which is simple to deploy and use is needed. Additionally, a low-cost, safe, and simple device which is directed to military, humanitarian and administrative mine clearance operations is desired.
In view of the foregoing, improvements in mine countermeasures have been desired. In addition to improved reliability of clearing mines, it has been desired to provide improved mine clearance over a wide-area.